Suction cleaner



Nov. 19, 1946, W HE 2% L488 SUCTION CLEANER Filed'Ap'ril 19, 1943 INVEN TOR. Harry B W/z if? Patented Nov. 19, 1946 SUCTION CLEANER Harry B. White, Canton, Ohio,

North Canton, Ohio, a cor- Hoover Company, pcration of Ohio assignor to The Application April 19, 1943, Serial No. 483,548

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to suction cleaners in general and more particularly to a new and novel suction cleaner brush or agitator. More particularly, the invention comprises improvements in the means of mounting a removable brush element in a rotatable brush or agitator body.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved suction cleaner. It is another object'of the invention to provide a new and improved rotary brush or agitator for a suction cleaner. A further object of the invention is to provide improved means of removably mounting a brush element in a rotatable agitator or brush body. A still further object of the invention is to provide a removable brush element including flexible brush bristles and a resilient back which is removably positioned within a seat in a rotatable brush body. These and other more speciflcobjects will appear upon reading the following specification and claims and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawing to which they relate.-

Referring now to the drawing in which the same reference character refers to the same part in the various views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a suction cleaner incorporating a rotary brush constructed in ac-- cordance with the present invention, certain parts being broken away andshown in section;

Figure 2 is a partial side elevation of a rotary brush with one brush element removed and ready for insertion into its seat in the agitator or brush o y; s

Figure 3 is a section through the agitator body upon .the line 33 and shows the brush seat adapted to receive. the brush element which is spaced therefrom;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but shows the first step in the insertion of the brush element in its seat in the body; and

Figure 5' is a section upon ure 2 and shows the brush the brush body.

The modern suction cleaner relies upon agitation and air flow to remove foreign material from a surface covering undergoing cleaning. Agitating means dislodge the foreign material and the air flow carries that material from the surface to a suitable receptacle which filters it from the air, permitting the latter to escape into the the line 5-5 of Figelement seated within atmosphere. The usual agitating means of the modern suction cleaner comprises a rotatable agitator or brush. If the agitator or brush includes flexible brush elements, which preferably it does for most eflicient cleaning, these elements rooved, as at 2|,

. 29 which is separated in the body is so contoured as to must from time to time be adjusted or replaced for they become worn after extended use. The present invention is directed to the provision of a brush element and a rotatable agitator which are adapted to make the task of replacin the worn brush element relatively simple. A brush element is provided which includes flexible brush bristles and a deformable back of material such as rubber or its equivalent. The brush seat permit the back to be inserted radially and to retain it in place after insertion.

Referring again to the drawing, a suction cleaner is illustrated and is seen to comprise a nozzle I which is interiorly connected by an air passageway 2 to a fan chamber 3 which houses a suction-creating fan 4 carried by the extended lower end of a motor shaft 5, the motor'being unshown but positioned within, 6 immediately above the fan chamber. Nozzle I is formed with front and rear surface-contacting lips I and i! through which the cleaning air enters to be drawn by the rotating fan 4 through the air passageway 2 and discharged through an exhaust outlet II of the fan chamber into a removably connected dust bag 9 which is secured by suitable manually operable nuts I2. The machine is movably supp rted upon front wheels I3 and rear wheels II and, as in the usual machine, a pivoted handle I5 is provided by which theoperator may exert a propelling force.

Within the nozzle I is positioned a rotatable agitator I6 which is rotatably mounted upon a shaft I1 and includes a cylindrical body I 3 formed with a helically extending brush seat I9 and with helically extending rigid beater elements 20 upon its surface. Body I8 of agitator I G is centrally to form a pulley surface which seats a power-transmitting belt 22 connected to the pulley 23 at motor shaft 5.

The brush seat I9 extends helically and its sides are formed by inwardly extending side edges or walls 24 which, in any given transverse plane, extend as illustratedin Figures 3, 4, and 5.. Brush element 25 comprises flexible bristles 26 which are firmly imbedded in a back 21 which is transversely curved to conform to the curvature of the cylindrical body I8, as indicated at 28, and is formed with a rounded projecting lower bulbous portion from the top surface 28 by a pair of parallel longitudinally extending V- sectioned slots 33.

The back 21 is formed as an elongated straight bodya motor casing the extreme lower end of the tion of the agitator.

. v 4 brush and a wedging action will result in the sliding of one corner of the bulbous portion 29 from its seat to the position illustrated in Figure 4,

wedged through the brush seat in the manner 11- lustrated in Figure 4 one side slot or groove 30 enabling the adjacent face of the rounded portion 29 to be forced through the opening, whereupon a downward force upon the opposite side of the back results in theentire bulbous portion 29 be- 11 8 Projected throughthe seat or slot 19 into the relationship illustrated in Figure 5, after which the entire length of the back is advanced into its seat. Once positioned therein the natural resilience and. flexibility 0f the bulbous portion 29 causes it to fill completely the seat l9, as illustrated in Figure 5, and it is impossible for the element to be displaced from its seat under the action of centrifugal force in the'high speed rota- The sides of the grooves 30 lie flush with the seat side walls 24 and a tight fit is present which prevents foreign material from entering the agitator body.

Displacement of the brush from the seat requires the use of a tool such as a screw driver and the insertion of one edge thereof under and into the V-shaped slot l9 adjacent one edge of the after which the entire brush element can be displaced by suitable withdrawing force applied and efiective on the dislodged end.

I claim:

In a rotary agitator for a suction cleaner, a cylindrical body, a helically extending brush seat having closed ends, formed by apposed inwardly sloping side walls, positioned permanently in said body and which intersects at an angle a transverse plane through said body perpendicular to the major axis thereof, and a normally straight brush including flexible non-compressible bristles seated in a back of deformable material such as resilient rubber, said back being divided by longitudinally extending V-shaped grooves into a top portion and a backing portion, said back being sufficiently flexible to enable said brush to curve helically, and said backing portion being sufficiently compressible to enable itto be deformed and inserted radially between said side walls of said brush seat, said grooves being shaped as to lie fiat upon the surface of said inwardly sloping side walls and being sufliciently spaced as to provide a back thickness'which fits between 

